This year I am running a 1000 miles with my dog Jack! We adopted Jack in November 2009 from New Hope Dog Rescue and he is the gentle giant of our little home. The volunteers who run New Hope and those who foster dogs are wonderful, dedicated people. As a way to thank them, Jack, Skender and I are raising money for their charity. I ask people to sponsor our running through donations to New Hope Dog Rescue. Your donations will help us reach our goal of a 1000 mile/dollar year!!!!

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Three miles today, squeezed in between today's meeting and going out for dinner. Still feeling pain in my leg but it may be getting better. Great meeting today, I love this group of people (First Nations, Inuit and Metis Advisory Committee to the Mental Health Commission of Canada) because we naturally migrate to a creative and productive space that continues to challenge what is taken for granted. This meeting is our one-year anniversary as a committee and as has become our character, we brought our diverse perspectives, debated with passion, and remembered to take the time to laugh and share stories about our lives. If only all committees could be like this one, I am certain the world really would change for the better.

Calgary weather is great and I wish I could stay longer but I'm also looking forward to getting home to Skender. We have fun plans for the weekend including a run together!

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Ran 5.16 miles today. Still having difficulty running; My leg is not getting worse but it also not improving so I think I'll make an appointment for physiotherapy next week. I'm now at 85 miles and with this leg problem I'm unsure if I'll make 100 miles before the end of the month.

Despite the discomfort in my leg I found myself running with a smile as I thought about the wonderful news I had received earlier in the day. My friend Michael (my roommate in Montreal in 1990-1991) e-mailed that he couldn't run with me in Calgary this week because he's in Maui "getting married!!!". What a great surprise! I met Michael's girlfriend Kerri late last year and instantly knew "she was the one." They were just so damn happy! We had many laughs over drinks, telling Kerri about our crappy little apartment on Ave du Fort in downtown Montreal (a couple blocks from the old Montreal Forum). Twice Michael arrived at our apartment building on cold winter nights to find me huddled in an Emergency Rescue Bus, waiting to get back into the apartment after being pulled out of the apartment by firemen. Once because of a building fire and the second time because of a bomb scare. Our year in Montreal was great, we went from barely knowing each other to having a life long friendship that keeps us in hysterics every time we speak or see each other. So the run with Mike has been postponed until after the honeymoon and I'm very jazzed it will be with Mr. and Mrs. McGovern :)

Monday, January 26, 2009

Still experiencing pain in my left leg so I haven't run in the past two days. I will try running again tomorrow. What have I been doing? Reading a great book. If you're interested in Canadian fiction, Cockroach by Rawi Hage is a great read. It was a finalist for this year's Giller Prize. It is set in Montreal so reading it was extra special from my point of view because the imagery brought back memories of a city I miss terribly.

Health tip: It has been shown that individuals who drink two or more cups of Oolong Chinese tea a day burn calories at twice the rate of those who drink traditional green tea. While studies are preliminary, the tea is believed to increase metabolism making it a healthy weight loss support. I haven't found the tea yet, and admittedly I have not had time to look very hard. The tip is in "You Staying Young" by Roizen and Oz, Oprah's favorite doctors. Another great book I highly recommend for those who want to live long and to keep running :)

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Thursday, January 22, 2009

No running today. Went for a massage to try and solve the leg muscle problem. If feels like it worked so I should be able to run again by Saturday. I think I'll give it one more day to rest, well that and I have plans for Friday afterwork drinks with Kathy G. and Pat O :) Still working on my priorities.

Swimming was great. Full class, mostly people around my age and mostly men. Some wanting to swim better for triathlon training, others just wanting to keep up with their children, so I fit in pretty well. I am definitely at the beginning of a much larger project than a 1000 miles run when it comes to swimming. Not to be discouraged, I'm thinking that mastering a 500m-750m swim by 2012 is realistic (Sprint Triathlon). May seem easy to some but remember I still have 930 miles to run this year and who knows how many the years after.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Well so much for fortune cookie wisdom. Today was the most slow and painful run that I have had in months. It felt like little pain monsters were biting into my flesh and bone, and no matter how hard I tried to shake them off they just sunk their teeth in deeper until I finally cried Uncle!!!! Two very grueling miles that I logged tonight as two I do not want to repeat. And what about Lance....not a word! I left the gym, grabbed a pint of Haugen Daus and headed home to veg in front of the TV...tomorrow is another day.

I'm currently at 69.79 miles, which puts me in a good position to make my first 100 miles by February 1st. So what happens at 100 miles? Well I have this friend, let's call her my "Good" friend who despite not being a runner herself, tells me she know how to celebrate a 100 mile milestone. I just wish she'd quit leaving those phone message...."are you done yet?" "are you done yet?" You have to admire her devotion to The Cause :) OK just joking, well except the part that she knows how to party.

Monday, January 19, 2009

Long day at work, ending with a focus group this evening. My fortune cookie after dinner: "Nothing can keep you from reaching your goals. Do it!" Equally applicable to two challenges; running a 1000 miles and getting my son to bed before 9PM. Back to running tomorrow.

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Ran five miles today. I didn't think that I would have any energy after yesterday but with my favorite running music playing on my ipod and no expectation of running more than a mile or two, it just happened : ) Tomorrow is a 12 hour work day so Monday is a day off from running.

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Increased my run today, 12.1 miles. This is my longest run yet. Current miles in: 62.78. Every mile felt difficult today but in the end it was a very good run. My new Nike running shoes with the tracking sensor worked really well, so well that at the end of my run the voice of Lance Armstrong came on my ipod and congratulated me on my run. You have to love the marketers who think only of us. I felt quite pleased, thanks Lance, it was a good run!

I like the sensor because it tracks my run and then from my ipod I download the information to the Nike website so I can track my distance. Very cool!

About Me

OUR LITTLE FAMILY LOVES TO TRAVEL! FOR VACATION, FOR SCHOOL, FOR WORK, WE LOVE IT ALL. SOME DESTINATIONS ARE CLOSE TO HOME WHILE OTHERS TAKE US TO FAR OFF PLACES WHERE WE EXPLORE DIFFERENT CULTURES AND WAYS OF LIFE. WE DECIDED TO BEGIN A TRAVEL BLOG THAT WOULD HELP OTHERS TO LEARN ABOUT TRAVELING TO THE PLACES WE HAVE BEEN. OUR GOOD FRIENDS ARE GOING TO HELP US OUT BY SHARING THEIR TRAVEL EXPERIENCES AND PHOTOS. ENJOY THE TRIP! CAROLINE AND SKENDER

Please let us know when you make a donation so we can keep track of how our fund raising is going!

carolinetait75@gmail.com

Thank You!!!! Jack, Skender and Caroline

About New Hope Rescue

New Hope Dog Rescue is a registered Canadian charitable organization run completely by volunteers based in Saskatoon, SK. dedicated to rescuing unwanted, stray, abandoned, neglected and abused dogs. All of their rescued dogs are placed in foster care homes when they have a foster home available until a permanent home can be found. Here the dogs receive much needed attention, love, training, and exercise on a daily basis. Being in a home environment can eliminate stress, neurotic behaviors, and illness that may happen with living in a cage or kennel. Being in a home environment allows for an on-going assessment of the dog and what the dog is like to live with. Knowing the dogs personality and quirks helps to determine the best possible permanent home for each dog.It is New Hope Rescue's main goal to place each dog in a nurturing and loving environment in a permanent home suited to each dog.

A lot of time, effort and emotional involvment go into rescue work and the volunteers do not want it to be wasted. They will work with interested adopters to make the best match for both the dog and the family. All dogs that come into New Hope Dog Rescue are spayed or neutered and receive vaccinations and microchipping prior to being adopted. New Hope Dog Rescue has generated a wish list of other needed supplies they hope to have donated to them so that they can continue to put monetary funds toward spaying, neutering and vaccination costs. Through their rescue efforts they also strive to educate the public on humane treatment, lifelong commitment, and population control through spaying and neutering.